Australia’s World Cup campaign will begin against the World’s No. 1 ranked side and hosts India.

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If you’re looking for recent form, India defeated the Aussies 2-1 in a three match series late last month in the lead up to the tournament.

However, Australia won the last match between the teams at this ground with a 21-run win on the back of a four wicket haul from Adam Zampa in March.

11.28pm — Australia all out for 199

India will like their chances of claiming a victory in their first match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup after Australia capitulated for 199.

Australia only crawled to the total thanks to a late cameo of 28 from Mitchell Starc after the top order couldn’t capitalise on strong starts.

David Warner hit a 52-ball 41 and Steve Smith a 71-ball 46 but there was few and far between for the rest of the innings.

From 2/110, Australia crumbled to 7/140 as the middle order crumbled against the Indian spin.

Ravindra Jadeja was the chief destroyer, taking 3/28 from his 10 overs, while Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav claimed 1/34 and 2/42 respectively, meaning spin accounted for six of the wickets, all in the Aussies top seven batters.

It leaves Australia exposed as the side only has Adam Zampa as a recognised spinner, while batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will have plenty of work to do.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are also part-timers at best.

Adding to the potential that Australia entered the match short on spinner, Jadeja said after the innings he didn’t know which ball was going to spin and which was going to hold.

The interviewer said: “If you didn’t know that, how are the batters supposed to know which way the ball is going?”

“Yeah exactly,” he replied with a smile. “The odd ball was turning, not every ball was turning, so I was mixing the pace.”

Sounds like Australia could have done with a bit more spin.

But if the seamers can make early inroads on a pitch that’s been described as a “day four” turner, who knows what can happen with runs on the board.

10.24pm — Australia imploding

Another one bites the dust.

Glenn Maxwell has struggled to get going, bowled for 15 off 25 off Kuldeep Yadav.

The pitch is a minefield and causing all sorts of issues for the Aussies.

And after dropping to 6/140, Cameron Green gave them a gimme, hitting Ashwin straight to Hardik Pandya at backward point to make it 7/140 and requiring the bowlers to give the Aussies something to bowl at.

9.52pm — Indian spinners tear Australia apart

Australia have gone from 2/110 to 5/119 in just over two overs as the Indian spinners apply the clamps.

Ravindra Jadeja has taken his second and third wickets of the day as Australia’s middle order collapses in difficult conditions at Chennai.

Jadeja had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind off a feather edge before trapping Alex Carey for a second ball duck as the hosts put their foot on the neck of the Aussies.

With Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja on fire and bowling as a unit, the bowlers have conceded 69 runs from 114 balls as well as taking four wickets between them.

It’s a difficult wicket to score freely on for the Aussies and before play began it was referred to as spinner’s paradise.

Which is the last thing Australia wanted to hear.

Australia’s squad has Adam Zampa as its only frontline spinner, while batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will likely have to bowl plenty of overs this World Cup.

While Labuschagne and Smith are also able to bowl spin, they’re very much part-time at absolute best.

9.41pm — ‘My goodness’: Smith bowled by beauty

It doesn’t get much better than that from Ravindra Jadeja.

The Indian spinner has bowled the perfect ball to dismiss Steve Smith with the ball biting into the wicket and turning to hit the top of the Aussie’s off-stump.

Smith had no choice but to go for 46 off 71 balls.

Australia are now 3/110 off 27.1 overs, but the run rate might be a concern, batting at just four an over.

Even if the Aussies picked it up to eight an over, they’re looking at under 300, which just might be a winning target on what’s proven to be a tricky wicket at Chennai.

8.51pm — India finally break partnership

David Warner and Steve Smith had helped Australia to recover to 1/74 off 16.2 overs but Kuldeep Yadav has finally snared the second wicket.

While Warner wasn’t at his free flowing best on the dry wicket in Chepauk, he was undone by Yadav, as he spooned a catch straight back to the spinner to be dismissed for 41 off 52 balls.

It bring Marnus Labuschagne to the crease for Australia to join Steve Smith who is 33 off 41 balls.

7.41pm — Mitch Marsh gone for duck

India have claimed the first wicket of the evening with a brilliant slip catch from Virat Kohli.

David Warner hit the first four of the match in the second over of the match.

But Jasprit Bumrah has stuck in the third over with a top ball to Mitch Marsh.

It drew the edge and Kohli moved well to his left to snag the catch.

7.05pm — ‘We’ll bat’: Cummins win the toss

Pat Cummins has won the toss and Australia will bat first in the match.

“We’ll bat first, looks like a good wicket. Sun is out, good opportunity to bat. We are in a good spot, we’ve played a lot over the last month,” Cummins said.

Australia have left out Travis Head (“who’s on the couch in Adelaide”), Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis.

AUSTRALIAN XI: David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

INDIAN XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

6.50pm — Huge World Cup opener blow rocks India

India will enter the opening match of the World Cup without the World’s No. 2 ranked batsman Shubman Gill.

Gill has been in outstanding form in 2023, hitting 1230 runs at an average of 72.35, which includes a double hundred, five centuries and five fifties.

He’s the only batter in men’s 50 over cricket this year to have over 1000 runs.

But he’s been ruled out of the hosts’ tournament opener with the host broadcaster reporting that Gill had not travelled to the venue with the team.

Gill is out after testing positive for dengue fever.

With the star opener out, Ishan Kishan will likely open the batting with captain Rohit Sharma.

It’s expected a huge crowd will turn out for the match with fans calling it “the official opening of the World Cup”.

While Australia and India didn’t play at the ground in their recent three-match series, the sides did play during the three match series in March.

In that match, Australia were bowled out for 269, but Adam Zampa spun the visitors to victory despite a Virat Kohli 54.